MAM
Rajesh Khanna makes his TVC debut in Havells’ new campaign
MUMBAI: Bollywood yesteryears superstar Rajesh Khanna is making his debut television commercial. Electrical and power distribution equipment manufacturer Havells India Limited unveiled its new ad campaign, ‘Havells Fans are Forever‘, featuring Khanna in the TVC.
Havells is known to portray unique concepts through its out of the box advertising with campaigns like ‘Shock Laga‘ and ‘Wires that don‘t catch fire‘. The latest campaign named ‘Fans are Forever‘ is another extension of this strategy. The TVC has been shot by R Balki.
The commercial makes use of the fact that Khanna attracted
unprecedented mass hysteria and a frenzied fan following in his heydays. It showcases him going down memory lane, remembering how his fans used to follow him everywhere when he was a superstar. However there is a twist at the end of the TVC which goes on to reveal that he certainly does have a lot of fans, but those are Havells fans!
Havells (India) joint managing director Anil Gupta said, “It is a constant endeavour to come out with clutter breaking ad campaigns and create the desired impact so as to reach out to audience at large. As far as Rajesh Khanna is concerned, he was undoubtedly the best fit for our campaign – Fans are Forever. Even after 30 or 40 odd years, people of not only our generation but by the younger generation as well, remember him as one of the biggest stars of his time. He will be revered for ever just like our Havells Fans!”
Balki chairman and chief creative officer Lowe Lintas India said, “This new campaign gave us a great opportunity to capture the essence of the brand with sheer simplicity. When the ad was being conceived, we could think of none other than Rajesh Khanna himself who had the maximum fan following…almost legendary and who still commands a great deal of respect. Needless to say that it was a huge achievement to direct Mr. Khanna in his first ever commercial.”
Khanna added, “To be approached after so many years is indeed a great honour for me and I am delighted to reconnect with my fans once again. Shooting after a gap of so many years has definitely brought back fond memories and I feel that not a lot has changed at all. It‘s good to be back.”
The commercials will be on air during the ongoing IPL and will also be extended to print, internet and in-shop POSM.
MAM
Ogilvy appoints Carol Reed as Global Chief Innovation Officer
Advertising veteran joins to drive human-first innovation in an AI-powered world.
MUMBAI: Carol Reed has found a new creative canvas and this time, she’s bringing her innovation brush to one of advertising’s most iconic names. Ogilvy Group has appointed Carol Reed as its new global chief innovation officer. Reed, who previously served as Chief Innovation Officer at WPP Open X, brings deep expertise at the intersection of creativity, technology, media, and commerce.
In a note announcing her move, Reed said she was drawn to Ogilvy because of its unmatched legacy. “The most powerful thing AI can do is make human creativity more extraordinary not replace it,” she stated. “This is an agency with something no algorithm can replicate, a 78-year legacy of ideas that change culture and drive real business results.”
Reed will focus on building new products, platforms, and partnerships to amplify Ogilvy’s creative heritage for clients and its global talent network. She will work closely with Global CEO Laurent Ezekiel and global chief creative officer Liz Taylor.
Her career began at Publicis Groupe’s Digitas as an associate media planner. She later moved to Omnicom Media Group and rose to senior vice president and programmatic lead at Digitas, where she built an in-house programmatic team of over 40 members. Most recently, at WPP, she served as executive vice president for data and product marketing.
With her appointment, Ogilvy strengthens its innovation leadership as the industry navigates rapid advancements in AI and technology.
From building programmatic teams to championing human creativity in an AI era, Carol Reed has consistently stayed ahead of the curve. Her arrival at Ogilvy signals a fresh push to blend cutting-edge innovation with the agency’s legendary creative spirit.
